Tape-shrinking machine.



B. F. PALTER & G. J. LEDERER.

TAPE SHRINKING MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED DEG. 7, 1910.

1,038, 104;, Patented Sept. 10, 1912.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

mama/0w B. 1?. FALTER & G. J. LEDERER.

TAPE SHRINKING MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED DEG.7,1910.

2 E i NM NRNW-MN t s 5 W S m M a m w m j B. F. FALTER & G. J. LEDERER.

TAPE SHRINKING MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED DEC. 7, 1910.

1, 38,104, Patented Sept. 10, 1912.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 3.

tion of the wriner mechanism. Fig. 9 is a sectional elevation of thesame, taken on a I water. so

nnm'mm r. rnnr'nn. may seems a. momma, or cn'rcaeo', IZbLIN'OiS. r I-'rAru-"snnmxme I .a iwatienmea Decemher.7.,19 1(l. serial rm; 596,162.v

-United States of America, and residents of Chicago, county of-Cook.State'of Illinois,

havemvented certain new and useful Improvements in Tape-ShrinkingMachines, of which the following is a speclfication,

The main objects of this invention are to 10 provide improved andefiicient means for shrinking or treating tape the process of transferfrom one stock spool to another stock s 001; to provide improvedmechanism w ich will rapidly unwmd, uniformly moisten, dry, and re-w1ndseveral spools atv the same time, without manual labor on the part ofthe attendant; to providean'automatically. operated alarm to call themention of the attendant to the breaking of any.

one of the tapes; to provide improved dryi'ngf means for removing allmolsture from the tape atoprov'ide improved meansfor ob- A "taming auniform tension to revent changing the shape or crumpling o the tape;and to provide improved and convenient means for mounting spools so thatthey can be readily immersed in a tank,'to insure perfect moistening asthe spools are unwoundunder Figure l is a sectional this invention,taken on the line A -A of 7,.- Fig. 2 an end elevation of the re-.winding mechanism, on the line' B--B of 35- Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a detailof the worm gear driving mechanism as viewed" from the plane of the lineCC of Fig. 2. Fig. 4 1s a detail of the clutch mechanism, as viewed fr mthe plane of the line DD of Fig. 2. li ig. 5 is a sectional detail oftheshoe which engages the cam slot of the feed roll and is taken on theline EE of Fig. 2.

Fig. 6 is a detail Ian-of the tension mechanism as viewed cm the planeof the line F-F of Fig. 1. Fig. 7 is a plan view of the entire machine.Fig. 8 is an end elevathe line GG of Fig. 8. Fig.10 is a detail of theguide rollers as viewed from the plane of the line H- H of Fig. 9. f

In the construction shown, the structure comprises a portable platformor supporting structure 1 which supports an open 'rectanand drive rolls8. The vertical members tween the vertical .giilartank 2, in'which thetapelA is moistened, and; vertical members 3- and 4, which form, withthe transverse members 5, a sup port for a tape wringer 6, a drierelement 7, with the transverse braces 10 and 11 be members 4. and 9,.form bearings and supports for the driving motor {12, and a-comp ete'tape re-winding mechamsm."

The ta e spools 13 are mounted on aremovable out of the rectangular tank2., The frame 1ft, which might be termed the supply magazine, supportsthree tape spools on individual spool shafts 13 between two verticalmembers 15, one end of each spool shaft 13 fitting into a socket in oneof the upright members 15, the other end being located in :a recess orslot 16, in which it is locked in position by 'a pivoted catch bearing17. The

tape passes from the spools on one side of the tank to respective idlers18 on the opposite side of the. tank. Between the spools and the idlersare placed vertical rods 19 forming slits through which the tape mustpass-giv ng 1t a half turn in the liquid which act as guides for thetapes as they leave the idlers. Above the frame and over hanging thetank is ,placed a Wringer 6 IWhiCh is mounted at the junctions .of thevertical members 3, and transverse members {5. The wringer B'has a roll22 which is mounted on a shaft 23 in the journals 24. On

the shaft 23 is also mounted a gear wheel '25 which meshes with asimilar gear wheel- ;26 which drives a roll 27. Pressure betweenicoacting surfaces of therolls 22 and 27 is maintained by means ofsprings 2-8, which act between the bearing blocks 29 of the roll 27, andthe lower surface 9f the wing nuts 30.

Substantially uniform tension is maintained on the tape by having itpass over the edge of the angle iron 31 to a tension frame 32, shown inFig. 6. The tension frame 32 is secured to vertical members 3 by pivots33,. Suitable rollers 34ers mounted on the tension frame 32 in suchmanner as to prevent endwise displacement. A. slight addi-' tionaltension isalso maintained by arms 35, which are pivoted to the platform211236, and

asv fit passes from the spool 13 to theidler 13. 7. Arms 20, secured tothe frame, have eyes 21, elevation of a tape 'shrinklng machineconstructed according to rsremcaflqnbf m' a nt Patented Sept. 10, 1912.

me 14, which is slidable into and which are provided with-pr0lig 37which engage and guide the tape in the passage from the rollers 34. Byrunning, the tape down over'the tensionframe, therejis provided anextended loop between the bath and the drier where shrinkage occurs, andthe tension mechanism tends to keep the tape taut Llld readily, yieldsto any irregularities in the tape during shrinkage.-

Above the transverse member 5 is supported a curved metal plate 38,which is provided with a heater, shown in the drawmgs in the form of twogas burners 39" with the usual mixing tubes 40 and as supply pipes 41.The tape is delivere to the curved metal late 38 over a guide roll 42,above which is mounted a smoothing roll 43. For

, convenien'ce in threading thetape between 4 site end of the roll beingthe guide and smoothing rolls, the smoothing roll is mounted on' a pivot44 the oppoprovid handle-45. Guide pins 4 are plaoedat the delivery endof the curvedplate 38 to prevent shiftin of the tape on the drying 25surface. A thermometer 38f is connected to the plate 38 to enable'theoperator to accurately control the temperature of said plate.

In its delivery from the drive rolls '8 to' winding shafts 53, beingremovably mounted on said shafts by means of a slidable cone bearing54,which coacts with the wing nuts 55 which are threaded on the end ofthe shafts 53. The spool winding shafts 53 are all rotated in the samedirection by means of five similar gear wheels 56, three of the gearwheels 56 being mounted to rotate with the spoolshafts 53, two of thegear wheels being mounted on shafts 57 intermediate of the spool drivinggears 56. Oneof the spool shafts 53 is provided with a p'rolongatlon 53and is journaled in an outer bearing 58.

Between the outer'bearing 58 and the-frame is a driving sprocket wheel'59. All of theshafts' 53 and the shafts 57 are mounted on" aplate 60which is bolted to one of the vertical members 9. The driving ofthe-train' of spool gears is accomplished by means of a sprocket chain61 which engages a sprocket wheel 62 located on the mam shaft 62.

- The uniform distribution of the tape on the re-windin spools 52 isaccomplished by means'of gut cs 63 which are mounted upon the guideframe 64, which is slidably mounted in bearings 65. Rigidly secured tothe lower bar 66 of the guide frame is an arm which there is cut anendless right and left cam slot.

ed with a The simultaneous operation of -the rewinding rolls, the driverolls, the feed rolls,-

and the; wringer'is accomplished by means of the mechanical connectionsbetween them. The feed shaft 69 is secured to the main shaft 62 by meansof a set screw 70. A gear wheel 71 meshes with the gear wheel 72, whichdrives a sprocket wheel 62f which in turn operates the re-winding spoolsby means of a sprocket chain 61. The sprocket wheel 73 is mounted on theshaft of the igearwheel 72, and is connected to operate ;the drive rolls8 by means of a sprocket fwheel 74, and chain 75. A driving sprocketwheel 76 is connected to operate the shaft ;23 of the wringer rolls 6 bymeans of a chain 7, lengaging the sprocket wheel 78. Provi- E sion isalso made for operating the wringer :rolls 6 and the feed rolls 8manually by the lformation of a square head on one end of iend of themain drive roll shaft 7 9.

Theconnection of the motor with the main {shaft is' made by means of aworm gear 80 m'ounted to tl llll loose on the main shaft. ;The worm gearis surrounded by a casing ,81, which forms journals 82 for a worm ishaft83 which is mounted on an extension ,84 of the motor shaft 85. The faceof the lWOIIIl gear is provided with two pins 86 which are arranged toengage two pins 87' :mounted on the face of a clutch 88, which is inturn mounted on the main shaft 62 and is prevented from rotation on saidshaft by means of a spline 89.

i .An electrlc alarm system is provided which is shown diagrammaticallyinFig. 1. Contacts adapted to, close the alarm circuit are provided byan insulated block 90, which is adapted to coact with the free end'ofithe arm'35 in case of the breaking of the tape before it reaches theheating element. The electric alarm is operated by meansof 'a-battery91, one terminal of which is connected to the insulated contact block90, the" other terminal beingl connected to the pivot 36which supports te contact arm 35'. The electric alarm is sounded by including in thecircuit the usual electric alarm bell 92.'

In case of'breaking of one or more of the tapes between the feed rolls 8and the rewinding spools 52, the electrical circuit, inoludin thebattery 91, and the bell 92, is

ithe main wringer roll shaft 23 and on onev closed y means of aninsulated block 93',-

which coacts with any one of the finger guides 50.

In operatlon, the tape A is unwound from spools suspended in themolstening tank 2,

and is threaded through the machine, as in dicated in Fig.1.

To thread the tape on the machine, the .frame 14 is removed from themoistening tank, and spools 13 are mounted on spoolshafts 13 between thevertical members 15.

" The catch bearings 17 are swung to engage .jsion clip 17 is so placedas to normallyoffer resistance to the rotating of the spool 13. Therespective tapes are then drawn through between the vertical rods 19around the respective idlers 18 through the l :eye 21, over the top ofthe frame, to the wringer rolls 6. The wringer roll may be 1o manuallyoperated by turning the roll shaft by means of a crank handle, having asquare socket to fit the end of said shaft, and is connected; by chainand sprocket mechanism to the main drive shaft 79. From the wringerroll, the tape is pulled over the top edge of the frame, contacting withthe frame at 31, from which contact the tape is drawn around itsrespective roller 34,

located on the tensionframe 32, up to the; guide roll 42. In order toplace the tape bethe smoothing.

tween the guide roll 42 and roll 43, the smoothing roll is lifted bymeans of the handle 45 to a vertical position.

After the tapes are all threaded over the guide roll 42, the smoothingroll is replaced in the horizontalposition. From the smoothing roll, thetape A passes over the heating element, contacting with the curvedsurface 38. At the end of the curved surao face 38, the tapes ware'heldin their respective paths by passingbetween guide pins 47 similar to theguide pins 46, which are placed in advance of the wring-er roll 6. Thetape A next passes between guide rods 48, which as give the tape ahalfturn and secure perfect alinement when the tape reaches the drive rolls8. From the drive rolls 8, the tape is threaded through eyes 49 at theextreme ends of the guide fingers 50. From the to guide fingers 50, thetape passes between distributing guides 63, wh1ch are secured to theguide frame 64. Then the ta e passes directly to the re-winding spoo s52, to which the end of the-tape is made fast. After the ends of thetapes A have been secured to the re-winding spools 52, the re windingspools are secured -against rotation relative to their respective shafts53 by turning the wing nuts 55, so as to force the so cone bearings 54against'the'spools.

The tape havin been threaded through the machlne, the fimounted thereon,is immersedin the tank2, which contains suflicient water to entirely ascover all of the spools. When the frame-14 is lowered into position, thetapes are b threaded between t e guide rods 46 in front of the wringer6. Then the arm 35 is swung into position so that its forks engage tothe tapes A. The heating element is heated by the gas burners 39. Theproper temperature of the heating surface 38 is indicated' by thethermometer 38', which is at tached to the heating plate '38.Progressive movement of the tape from the molstening which engages thecam slot on the face ofame 14, with the spools *tank a there-wii1dingmug is produced by starting the motor 12 and sliding the clutch:

88 on the 'main shaft 62, so that the pins '87" engage the pins 86 onthe worm gear di- 7 rectly connected to the motor. 79

Since all of the moving parts are mechanically connected to the mainshaft 62, as soon.

.as the clutch 88 is placed in operating posi-' tion, the remindingrolls will be rotated, ,taking up thetapeas rapidly asit is delivfl?ered by the drive rolls 8, and the dlstnbuting guides 63 will uniformlydistributethe tape to the surface of the re-win'ding spooh 52 throughthe action of the shoe guide 68 7 8othe-feed roll 69. In case of thebreaking of.

any one of the tapes in the passage from the.

original tape spool 13 to the re-winding spool 52, or when the end of,the tape is;

reached, the arm 35 will be released, and the free end of the arm willdrop, closing an electric alarm circuit between the pivot 36 and theinsulated contact plate 90. In a similar manner, in theabsence of thetape or of tension on the tape between the drive rolls 90 8 and there-winding spool 52, the. finger guides 50 will drop, maklng contactwith the lnsulated stop block 93, thereby closing the electric alarmcircuit between the insulated block 93 and the pivot 51. In the event of95 the breakage of any tape, the electrical alarm is operated,.callingthe' attention of the operator, and the machine can be stopped by eitherstopping the motor 12, or sliding the clutch 88 on the main shaft tothrow the clutch pins out of engagement.

Although but one specific embodiment of this inventionis herein shownand described, itwill be understood that numerous details of theconstructionv shown may be altered or omitted without departing from thespirit of this invention, as definedby the following claims.

We claim 1. In a tape shrinking machine, the combination' of amoistening bath, a wringer element, a heating element, drive rolls,rewindingrolls, a tape distributer for said re.- winding rolls, andmeans for producing a progressive movementof the tape from said bath tosaid- Ire-winding rolls, all being assembled as one structure.

2. In a tape shrinking'machine, the combination of a magazine havingsupports for a plurality of spools of ta a moistening ath, a drier, andre-win ing mechanism comprising a plurality of spindles corresponding innumber to the tape supports on said magazine means for individuallyguidingthe ta es rom-their respective magazine spools, t rough said bathto said drier and then to the respective individual rewinding spindlespower driven mechanism for simultaneous y rotating all' of saidrewindingspindles, and clutch mechanism adapted to permit the stopping of any' ofsaid re-Winding spindles without'interfering with the operation of theothers.

-- 3. In a tape shrinking machine, the combination of a moisteningelement, a wringer element, a drying element, a rewinding element, andmeans for causing a tape to pass in succession to said elements; and aroller located at a distance from said elements and adapted to havethe'tape pass thereover in travelin from said wringer element to said 4.In a tape shrinking machine, the combination of a moistening element, awringer 7 element, a drying elemnt, a re-wlndmg element, means forcausing a tape to pass in I succession'to said elements,' a rollerlocated at a distance from said elements and adapted to have the tapepass thereover in traveling from said wrmger element to said dryingelement so as to provide an extended loop in said tape Where theshrinkage occurs,

and tension means for permitting said roller to yield to anyirregularities of the tape during the shrinkage thereof.

Signed at Chicago this 2nd day of December, 1910. drying e ement so asto provide an extended loop in said tape where the shrinkage occurs.

